Most folks unlucky enough to have to crawl into a life raft are lucky enough to be plucked out again within 24 hours. But even a day adrift can seem like the longest decade of your life if you don't have the right gear at hand.

Life rafts come packed with survival equipment, also called ditch kits. Some are quite good, but quality can vary. I've also found most equipment bags in rafts only loosely tethered, which unfortunately allows them to fly about in rough seas and, in some conditions, entangle or harm survivors. Other packs aren't fully waterproofed. That's why it's so important to carefully examine what you're buying, and judge its packaging and quality harshly.

That said, I know of no long-term survivors who would have made it without having an additional ditch kit they assembled themselves. Even things you might think are worthless can save your life. A simple coffee can with a plastic top, for example, can serve as a bailer. Survivors have signaled passing planes with their credit cards, and even made sextants with folded paper. When one of my raft tubes got badly holed and I was on the verge of death, the handle to a fork became a pin around which to finally tie a repair.

Items that might be useful soon after ditching include a survival manual, a handheld VHF and other signaling devices, insulating blankets and food.For long-term survival, basic materials and tools, such as twine and rope, knife blades and a multi-tool, pencils and paper, can be as valuable as an EPIRB or watermaker. At the same time, the loss of an air pump or other critical item could lead to disaster. So anyone preparing to abandon ship must maintain two priorities: get as much gear as you can, and then protect it from degradation or loss.

WHAT TO PACK

Since there's no way to know whether you'll be adrift for just a few hours or, at worst, a few days or weeks, you should be prepared for all scenarios. The sidebar "What to Keep in Your Ditch Kit" outlines the essential equipment that will keep you and your crew comfortable and alive. But some of the items bear repeating here.

Once the crew has abandoned ship, there may not be much to do except keep everybody inside the raft and warm, and hope the EPIRB quickly brings rescue. But there are some items you'll want readily at hand, in waterproof containers. A first-aid kit is a good example. Other items for short-term survival don't need waterproof packaging. These include flares (self-launching or with a non-steel flare gun), an EPIRB, a knife and a small diving light.

Hypothermia can kill in minutes, so keeping your crew warm is a top priority if you are in anything but tropical waters. Hopefully, the raft has a double inflatable floor or other firmly attached insulation. And hopefully, everyone will already be in a survival suit or other dry suit, and the crew has snagged some closed-cell foam cushions from the cockpit. Even if all of this occurs, your ditch kit should contain extra space-blanket foil protection for every crewmember. Suits and mummy-bag configurations are available. I also carry a number of chemical heat packs.

Some items carried in the author's ditch kit include lubricants and raft repair clamps, goops, and sewing materials.Hydration also is a priority. You can live about a month without food, but only days without water. Some experts suggest survivors not drink for the first day, but anyone who's dehydrated, especially if sick or injured, may require water within 24 hours. It's wise to have at least a few quarts of water in your extra ditch kit, if it isn't already in your raft's kit. One five-gallon water jug can supply up to 40 man-days of survival ration, so carry some filled jugs on your boat that can quickly be taken to the raft, or even towed.

Over the intermediate to long term, you'll want a reverse-osmosis pump to turn seawater into potable water. These pumps are reliable and effective, no matter the temperature. For a small crew, a compact, three-pound pump like the Survivor 06 Watermaker allows everyone to pump him- or herself a trickle of fresh water. For large rafts and six or more crew, the Survivor 35 Watermaker is worth the investment.

PLASTIC IS PERFECT

With the plethora of small, zip-top plastic bags and plastic containers available today, there's really no excuse for your critical survival gear to get wet except when you want it to. In my months adrift, primarily in modest ocean conditions, I found myself wet to some degree probably half the time. Between abandoning ship, possible capsizes or waves flooding the raft, or just sitting about awaiting rescue, things often are going to be quite wet. Still, I was able to keep even paper notepads dry simply by double bagging them with typical grocery-store poly bags tied tight with twine.

Some people store gear in large watertight containers, which float, but any water that then gets into them becomes trapped. I prefer to use a multi-pocketed small pack with strong zipper closures. Inside, I use waterproof, Tupperware-like containers and bags to hold my vital survival equipment. I also have everything separated according to whether I would need it immediately upon abandoning ship, for the short term, or if I need it later, while adrift for days or weeks.

Things like a fishing gaff, leaders, lines and knives can help for long-term survival.If you take this approach, label each container clearly with the names of the contents so that you or anyone with you won't have to guess what's inside and expose gear unnecessarily. If the contents are mostly boxed, there's usually enough air inside to let the ditch kit float, even if swamped, but you can always add foam flotation if you wish.

Whether you use plastic bags or containers – or both – your life literally depends on keeping your gear at hand, so your ditch kit and all important gear should be fitted with strong attachment points and lanyards. On my kit, D-rings to carry lanyards are attached to the bag using heavy webbing. The crew can then tie the lanyards to attachment points in the raft quickly. I also keep a knife attached to the outside of the raft, should I need to cut something in a hurry. Generally, I suggest crews use lanyards on any important gear, like watermakers, and secure each to the raft prior to use, in case the sea flips or floods the raft.

With basic needs covered, if for some reason you have not been found in a day or two, you will come to rely increasingly on your ditch kit to meet your longer-term needs, such as securing food, navigating and basically carrying on a shipboard routine, even if on a more humble craft. Whether your voyage is short or long, however, as long as you keep breathing and stay warm enough, eventually you will reach safety. A strong raft and kit provide for both.